USA > Illinois > DeKalb County > History of DeKalb County, Illinois > Part 28
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It did indeed seem to be, in the phrase of the country, " clear out of sight of land," a lonely, windy, grassy, deso- late spot. The inhabitants of the rival locations, disappointed at the result, ridiculed and denounced the selection, chiefly for this reason. It was argued, however, that the great State Road from Vandalia, the Capital of the State, north to Lake Superior, passed through this place, that the State Road from Chicago to Galena would cross here, and that it would consequently be more accessible than the Coltonville and Brush Point settlements, which were further to the West. It was also held that there was a great deal more timber on the eastern side of the county than on the western side; and as of course the settlements must always be near the timbered lands, the center of population would be rather at the east than at the west. The location was made north of the center of the county, partly because it was thought that the south- ern end, divided from the north by a broad stretch of bare prairie, would ultimately be set off into some other county, to be formed at the south of it.
1838.
The county machinery was now fairly set in order, but, to complete the dignity of the new county, it was necessary
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HISTORY OF DE KALB COUNTY.
that a term of the Circuit Court should be held, for the trial of civil and criminal suits ; and at the February term of the Commissioners' Court, it was ordered, that, as no court-house was yet provided, the first term of the Circuit Court should be held at Rufus Colton's residence, and the next term of the County Commissioners' Court, should be held at the residence of Riley Hall in Sycamore precinct.
As Jurors for the first term of the Circuit Court, the follow- ing list was selected.
GRAND JURORS.
George H. Hill, Nathan Billings, William A. Miller, Ly- sander Darling, John Whitney, John Esterbrooks, William Miles, Henry Madden, Eli Barnes, Phineas Stevens, Alpheus Jenks, Russell D. Crossett, John Maxfield, William Davis, Maltby B. Cleveland, D. S. Bullard, Zachariah Wood, Ralph Wyman, Benjamin Stephens, Joseph A. Armstrong, Henry B. Barber, Reuben Nichols, Justin Crafts.
PETIT JURORS.
C. W. Branch, E. F. White, Abner Jackson. Peter Lamoise, Clark Wright, John Elliot, Clark L. Barber, Jos. A. McCollum, Russell Huntly, Ora A. Walker, John Corkins, Solomon Wells, H. N. Perkins, Jacob Cox, Lyman Judd, IIenry Durham, F. A. Witherspoon, John Sebree, Marshall Stark, Jeremiah Burleigh, John Riddle, William Russell, Watson Y. Pomeroy, Ezra Hanson.
As the coming Circuit Court was expected to cause an unusual demand for stationery, the Clerk of the County Com- missioners' Court was authorized to purchase two dollars' worth, and in addition was voted the sum of ten dollars to pay for a book of record.
Three tavern licenses were granted this year-one to Russell Huntly, at what is now the village of DeKalb, one to John Esterbrooks at Squaw Grove, and one to H. N. Perkins at the present village of Genoa, and to guard against extortion the Board enacted "that the rates for the government of tavern-keepers for the ensuing year be as follows viz : For
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each meal of victuals, thirty-one cents, for lodging each person twelve-and-a-half cents; for each horse to hay over night, twelve-and-a-half cents ; for each bushel of oats, seventy-five cents." These were great prices in those days, and were more than were usually charged. Two years later, the price of a good dinner at a first-class hotel in DeKalb County, was twelve-and-a-half cents, and a man was boarded for a week, for one dollar.
The total County tax levied on the first year of its existence as a County, was $216,50, but Mr. James Phillips, the deputy Sheriff who was also Collector, reported that after a hard winter's work in collecting, he had been able to get together and pay into the Treasury only $84,37.
There was a new election of County Commissioners in August, and by a change in the law, three new Commission- crs were elected, instead of one as had hitherto been provided. E. G. Jewell, Burrage Hough, and Henry Hicks were elected. They were warmly in favor of the County scat then located, and issued an order that the October term of the Circuit Court be held at a house now being erected by Eli Barnes, at or near the seat of Justice of this County. But it was not held there. The house as yet, existed only in imagination. There was no sign of civilization, except a fence enclosing a field nearly two miles long and sixty rods wide, built this year by C. Sharer & Co., the New York Company, who claimed this location. Mr. Colton who had been appointed Clerk of the Circuit Court, had made all processes returnable at his own residence. IIc hoped that before any suitable County buildings should be erected at this point he would obtain a vote to change its location to his own place. In addition to the other attractions of his own village, a lawyer, one John M. Crothers, had taken up his abode there, and opened an office in a corner of one of the three or four houses that con- stituted the village called Coltonville. With a store, a tavern, a blacksmith's shop, a doctor, a lawyer, and a distillery in
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HISTORY OF DEKALB COUNTY.
expectation, Coltonville was indeed a prominent and promising village.
Another meeting of the Commissioners was held in Septem- ber, at which they proceeded to consider the expediency of erecting a Court House and Jail at the seat of justice, but no definite plan was devised.
They were engaged in negotiating with Captain Eli Barnes for the erection of buildings, but it was evident that no provision could be made for the coming term of Court, and it was accordingly by general consent, held at Coltonville. About this time, a new disturbing element had been intro- duced into the affairs of the new County.
Madden and Colton both being sorely vexed at being over- ruled in their choice of a County seat, had put their heads to- gether to procure a removalby combining against Orange thetwo parties who favored Brush Point and Coltonville : and they managed it in this wise. Mr. Madden, who was still a mem- ber of the Legislature, had during the last winter's session, procured the passage of an act providing that a vote should be taken first for or against the removal of the County seat from Orange. It was presumed that the two parties favoring Brush Point and Coltonville would combine and could carry this measure, for removal. In that case a second vote was to be taken upon Coltonville or Brush Point, and the place receiving the highest number of votes was to be the County Seat.
Madden returned, and made no public mention of the passage of this act, but it was strongly suspected by the Orange men, that something of this kind had been done, and was to be "put through on the sly." It was finally discov- ered in this way. A certain bachelor of Genoa, Gleason by name, who was attached to the Orange party, invaded the Brush Point settlement one Sunday night, in search of a wife. From his fair Dulcinea, he learned to his surprise, that on the next Monday week, an election was to be held in that settlement to remove the County seat. Gleason informed his
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friends of what be had learned, and it was agreed that the Orange men should meet them at the polls and vote the removal project down. J. C. Kellogg and E. G. Jewell were dispatched South in the night, to rouse their friends in Som- onauk.
In due time the polls were opened, and to the surprise of the Brush Pointers, were opened in those precincts opposed to the change, as well as those which favored it. The unfair- ยท ness of the secret conspiracy was so apparent that in Somon- auk precinct, which then included six townships, forty-five of the forty-seven votes cast were against removal. The project was voted down by seventeen majority, in the whole County.
Coltonville had grown since the summer before when the first term of the County Commissioners Court was held there. There were four or five houses there now, but how the crowd of people that assembled on this memorable occasion was pro- vided for must ever be a mystery to future generations. The first term of the Court was held in a small framed house one story and a half in height, which, a few years after, was moved down to Sycamore, and is now the residence of Dr. W. W. Bryant and standing nearly opposite the Universalist Church. Hon .. John Pearson, the Judge, resided in Danville, Vermillion County, and the extent of his circuit may be judged from this fact. He was subsequently removed for incompetency. Rufus Colton was the clerk, and Amasa Huntington States Attorney. There were but twenty suits upon the docket, none of them sharply contested cases. The first suit was one in which Erasmus D. Walrod was plaintiff and Stephen Harwood was defendant, but before the trial commenced it was settled by agreement of parties-a good, first example which has not since been followed so closely as would have been to the advantage of the County.
The duty of the twenty-four Grand Jurors and the States Attorney, were ended when they had found an indictment against one William Taylor for passing counterfeit money. Taylor was supposed to be one of an organized gang that 48
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HISTORY OF DE KALB COUNTY.
even at this early day was infesting the country, and swind- ling the honest citizens. Not being ready for trial, he was retained in charge of the County until the next term. After being comfortably boarded for several weeks by the Barber family the County Commissioners ordered him to the Will County jail, at Joliet, which was then the nearest available place of confinement; and out of the scantily furnished treasury of the County they paid $45 to a guard for convey- ing him there. When he was next brought out for trial he escaped from the guard and was seen no more in this section of country ; and when in addition to this misfortune, the Will County jailor sent in a bill for $25 for his board, it bank- rupted the Treasury ; the commissioners indignantly refused to allow it and demanded the items. After this dear experi- ence in the capture of criminals it became the policy to over- look all crimes that were not too public and heinous, and when an offence had been committed that could not be over- looked, the County officers sometimes contrived that a hint should be given to the offender that he would probably bc arrested, and that it would be expedient for him to leave the country before that event should occur. In this way they rid themselves of the elephant. In December of this year, a meeting of County Commissioners provided for ascertaining upon what section of land the County, seat had been placed. The County had not yet been surveyed by the United States. Nobody knew where the boundaries of the County were, nor were any other lines definitely ascertained. It was necessary that the County should first make its pre-emption claim to the quarter-section that the law required it should own, as private individuals made their claims, and then should survey and sell the village lots : out of the proceeds of which sale the public buildings were to be erected, guarantying of course to the purchasers, that when the land came in market the County would purchase and pay for it.
For this purpose the Commissioners duly authorized and directed Mr. Eli G. Jewell to obtain the services of a surveyor
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and bring a line or lines from some survey made under the authority of the General Government down to the County seat, and there cause a number of town lots not exceeding eighty, to be laid out, platted and recorded ; the expense of which survey it was prudently provided should be paid out of the proceeds of the sale of the lots. At this term the rate of compensation to jurors was fixed at seventy-five cents per day, but as this rate was found to cause a heavy drain upon the Treasury, it was subsequently reduced to fifty cents.
Frederick Love was appointed first School Commissioner for the County, and was also granted a license to keep tavern. Love's capacious cabin was as public a place as any in the County. He called it Centerville, and hoped that at some time it would become the County seat. Henry Durham of Genoa, was granted a merchant's license at this term of the Court. A few years later, the village at that point had become the largest and most lively in the County. In September 1838, Shabbona, the old Indian, employed Mr. James S. Waterman to survey the two sections of land which the Gov- ernment had granted him in that section of country. During this year a company under the name of Jenks & Co., representing considerable capital, constructed a mill upon the Kishwaukee, in the present town of DeKalb on the land now occupied by Mr. Albert Schryvers farm, and projected a village which however, was never built up. The large barn now standing upon that farm was one of the first framed buildings in the County, and was used on several occasions for the religious services of the quarterly-meetings of the Methodists.
Since the departure of the Indians, game had rapidly increased in this district of country. Deer became very numerous. Mr. R. F. Watson, who was one of the first inhabitants of the northern portion of the County, states that during this winter he, hunting in company with Solomon Wells and William Driscoll, killed more than one hundred of these animals, and at times had counted one hundred and
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HISTORY OF DE KALB COUNTY.
twenty-five in one drove. They ran them down with grey hounds. The deer, fleet as they were, were no match for the hounds, who would often catch them by the throat before they had run a quarter of a mile. But the hounds frightened the deer from the country, and for many years subsequently they became very scarce.
1839.
The year 1839 was memorable as one of great suffering among the new settlers, from sickness. During the spring and autumn months, over most of the County, there were hardly enough of the well to take proper care of the sick. Ague and billious fevers were the prevailing diseases. They resulted from the close proximity to the groves and streams to which the new comers all built their houses, and were aided by the insufficient and comfortless little dwellings ; also by the bad surface water from the sloughs which they used in the want of wells of proper depth to supply pure water. It was difficult also, to secure medical attendance, and the phy- sicians who practiced through the country, rarely had a sufficient supply of medicine. A citizen relates his disap- pointment when after having gone shaking with ague seven miles on foot to a doctors for a dose of quinine, the doctor told him solemnly, " No young man, I cant't let you have it ; you are young, and can wear out the disease. I must save my little supply for cases in which it is needed to save life, for I don't know when I shall be able to obtain any more."
Deaths were numerous, and the few carpenters in the country who were able to work, were at times busy night and day in making coffins. It was noticed that one settle- ment on the borders of the County, in Franklin, afterwards known as the Pennsylvania Settlement, was quite free from the prevalent diseases. The three or four houses that com- posed this little village, were built by Dr. Hobart, Albert Fields, and William Ramsey, two miles from the timbered lands and in the middle of the prairie. To this was due their exemption from disease.
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But the citizens in the vicinity of the County seat found time to build a new Court Ilouse. The survey lines ordered by the County Commissioners, had been brought down from the neighborhood of Rockford, where some Government surveying had already been done, and the village of Sycamore was staked out. The inhabitants of this place for all future time, may thank Captain Eli Barnes and James S. Waterman for the broad streets that now add so much to the beauty of the village. To many of the people, they seemed at the time unnecessarily wide, but the sensible plea that there was a whole continent of prairie before them, and that when Syca- more became a city they would be needed to accommodate its business, prevailed, and they were all laid out one hundred feet wide. From the time the village was laid out, its original name of Orange was dropped, and Sycamore adopted by common consent.
During the previous winter, Captain Barnes had got together materials for building a spacious tavern at the new County seat, and early in the spring it was erected-the first building put up in this village. It is still standing, directly east of the Public Square, and has ever since been occupied as a Hotel. As an inducement for building it, it was agreed that the block on which it stands should be given to the Cap- tain, free of cost. The village having been laid out, the Commissioners directed Mr. Jewell to proceed to sell lots at public auction, and with the proceeds to contract for build- ing a Court House and Jail.
The auction was held, and the bidding was spirited. Some fifteen or twenty lots were sold at prices ranging from twenty to fifty dollars. Among the purchasers were Frederick Love, J. C. Kellogg, James S. Waterman, Harvey Maxfield, Daniel Bannister, Almon Robinson, Erastus Barnes, and Timothy Wells.
The proceeds of the sale constituted a little fund out of which, some of the materials for the Court House were pur- chased. Those most interested in the matter, then took teams
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HISTORY OF DE KALB COUNTY.
and drove to all the saw-mills in the country round, and begged or bought, or traded for the necessary lumber. The labor upon the building was done by voluntary contribu- tion. Every one could do something, and all worked with a will.
By the time fixed for the June session of the Circuit Court, a two-story building twenty feet by thirty had been enclosed, and the County Commissioners, who were hastily summoned together, ordered their Clerk of the Court to notify the Judge of the Circuit Court that they had erected a Court House at the County seat, and that it was ready for occupancy, and requested that he direct the Circuit Clerk to keep his office there.
Captain Barnes served the order upon the Judge now sitting in Court at Coltonville, and the crowd of attendants, augmented by a large body of citizens assembled to see what action would be taken upon this order, awaited with great interest the argument upon the proposition to remove to Sycamore. When the Judge decided that the Court must be removed thence, a shout of triumph went up from the Sycamore party, while the opponents of removal were correspondingly depressed. Judge Ford took his record under his arm, States Attorney Purple bundled up his papers, the Sheriff, the lawyers, juries parties and witnesses followed suit, and led by Captain Barnes, on that well-known spotted horse that he rode upon all public occasions for more than twenty years later, all took up their line of march through the thick woods and across the green prairie, to the new seat of empire at Sycamore. The assem- blage was entertained at a grand public dinner at the new tavern, where all the luxuries that the country afforded were freely provided by the successful party.
When the Court repaired to the new Court House, it was found that the declaration of the Commissioners, that the Court House was ready for occupancy, was rather more than its condition warranted. It had a frame, a roof, and some siding upon it, but there were no doors nor windows, and the
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only floor was some loose boards covering one half of the upper story. When the officers of the Court had clambered up to the seat of justice in the second story, it found furniture somewhat scarce. A tilting table was the Judges desk, and a broad, rough board was provided for the Clerks and attor- neys' tables-et praeterea nihil. Itwas a rough and primitive arrangement for the entertainment of the blind goddess, and if she had had her eyes about here she would have fled from the spot in alarm. A question arose whether process having been made returnable at Coltonville, suits could be tried at another locality, and except a few agreed cases, no litigation was carried on. William Taylor, the only criminal, having fortunately run away, and the arrest of all others being care- fully avoided, there was no use for a Grand Jury, and it had been at once dismissed, and the Court speedily adjourned.
The Commissioners' Court at the June session, divided the County into three Assessment districts.
The districts of Franklin, Kingston, and Kishwaukee con- stituted the first, and of this H. F. Page was chosen Assessor. Sycamore, Orange, and Ohio districts made the second, and of this, Austin Hayden was Assessor. Somonauk and Pawpaw made the third, and of this Stephen Arnold was Assessor. The three Assessors were each paid for three days' service in assessing the entire property of the County.
At the August election, Mr. John R. Hamlin was chosen Clerk of the County Commissioners' Court, and Lysander Darling County Treasurer, in place of George H. Hill. William M. Maxfield was chosen County Collector, Alpheus Jenks, Recorder.
In this year, the land in the three Northern townships which had previously been surveyed by the United States, and put in market. It was a part of what was called the Rockford or Polish survey.
The United States Government, in sympathy with the Poles who had just been overwhelmed in their contest for their independence by the power of Russia, had made a grant of a
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HISTORY OF DEKALB COUNTY.
large tract of land on the banks of the Rock River to such of that nation as chose to settle upon it. It was accordingly surveyed some years earlier than most of this part of the State. Very few of that nation however, availed themselves of this privilege. Claims had been made on the same land by other and earlier settlers. These combined to drive away the new claimants. Numerous little stockade forts were built with loop holes for muskets, and a determintion was expressed to drive the Polish emigrants out of the country, and they were entirely successful. They never occupied their grant.
At Coltonville, the large two-story house still standing there was built this year for a tavern, and was opened with a grand ball in the autumn. To make a sufficient party, the whole country was summoned. Some twenty of the guests came from Oregon, thirty miles west, and as many more from St Charles, twenty miles to the east. It was a noted event.
In the summer of the previous year, a convention was held at Ottawa to nominate candidates for the Legislature. Delegates went from Orange, now called Sycamore, to see that men favorable to their point as the County seat should be nominated, and they selected William Stadden for Senator, and J. W. Churchill for the Assembly. But they were disappointed in their men. At the winter's session, another act was passed authorizing a vote upon the removal of the County seat.
The Session Laws in these times, were not circulated 'till six months after the sitting of the Legislature, and before any opponents of removal were aware of the existence of such an act, the time had arrived for a vote upon the question. A poll-book was opened at Coltonville, a dozen votes or so were cast for removal to that place, and the terms of the law were considered to be complied with. The seat of justice technically was removed.
But Kellogg, the County Commissioners' Clerk refused to deliver the books. He was arrested and tried before Justice Harvey Maxfield, and after a savage, wordy warfare, was discharged.
CAPT. R.A.SMITH 13% ILL. VOL. INFANTRY. OF CORTLAND.
Chicago Lithographing Co. Chicago,
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The total receipts and expenditures of the County this year amounted to the sum of $452,15 a very moderate amount considering that a Court House had been constructed, and that, although built from another fund, it naturally increased some of the County expenses.
1840.
The year 1840 found the County of DeKalb increasing in population, if not in wealth. Around all of the groves which dotted the prairies like oases in a desert, or like islands in tl e blue ocean, little communities of farmers were gathered, full of ambition and hope for a prosperous future for this new coun- try, but grievously oppressed with poverty in the present. They raised bountiful crops of the finest winter wheat and the fresh virgin prairie soil produced of all kinds of grain such crops as have never since been equalled; but nothing found a market. They drew their wheat to Chicago over roads that were passable only in a time of drought, and when drawn there it was sold at from thirty to forty cents per bushel. He was a lucky man who made from his load more than enough to pay the expenses of the journey. There was little encour- agement for energetic systematic labor.
Many of the settlers were from the Southern States, a pleasant, hospitable generous people, but lacking the energy and shrewdness of the New Englanders, and other citizens of Northern origin. Mr. James HI. Furman, now editor of the Sandwich Gazette, who had just moved from the city of New York, taught school in a settlement of Virginia and North Carolina people at Squaw Grove during this winter. There was one framed house in the settlement-Jack Sebrecs. All others lived in log cabins. One large double log house was a favorite resort for all the neighborhood, and there he spent most of his time. Huge roaring fires of logs upon the broad open fire-places at each end, could hardly keep the winter chill out of the ill-constructed dwellings. At night they slept between two feather beds, as was the custom of the Southern country. There was no furniture to speak of; most of them 49
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